


with shameless wonder

by teruhvighnen



Series: the drug, the dark, the light, the flame [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Kid Fic, M/M, outsider pov, riley's pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 09:44:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18753883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teruhvighnen/pseuds/teruhvighnen
Summary: Natasha has somehow let herself into Riley and Sam's house. And Bucky and Steve are still somehow idiots. Riley should get a medal or something for dealing with them.





	with shameless wonder

**Author's Note:**

> ok there's minor interaction!!!!!

“Gross,” Riley says. Steve’s face is gross.

“What?” Steve’s on his phone and Riley is trying to write an admission essay. He does not need Steve’s disgustingly annoying face in the living room.

“Your puppy dog lovesick eyes face. It’s gross.” Steve looks up at him, for the first time averting his eyes from his phone.

“You’re just jealous.”

Riley gasps, “Jealous of what? Of you pining for someone you’ve known your whole life and who is obviously also in love with you but you’re both too stupid to do anything about it?”

Steve blinks at him, then frowns, then scowls. “He is not!”

“Oh my god, Steve!” Riley exclaims. _Are they really this dumb?_ He’s so fucking tired of Steve and Bucky dancing around each other. Riley thinks it was cute before but now it’s just excruciatingly painful and not because Steve and Bucky are dying from pining or anything but because Riley needs to write his admission essay and Steve needs to get out of the fucking house and let Riley concentrate.

Steve turns back to his phone, cackling at whatever dumb shit Bucky’s sent him. Riley shakes his head.

“Steve, for the love of god, please. Just tell him about your feelings.”

“It’s not that easy, Rile!”

Steve is sixteen years old and he has never backed down from a fight. He is strong, Riley knows this. He’s seen Steve stand up against bullies twice his size. So he doesn’t really understand how Steve can be so shy about this, how this can be so difficult for Steve.

Riley stands up from where he’s sitting and sidles next to Steve on the couch. He grabs his little brother’s face, cups his cheeks, and stares directly into Steve's eyes.

“Steve, listen to me, punk. Bucky is not gonna reject you. I promise. But if he does, then that’s his loss. He’s almost 18. He’s gonna leave for the army, right? You said so yourself. That’s what Bucky wants to do. If you don’t take this chance now, I don’t know…you may not have another one ever again.”

Steve pries Riley’s hands from his face, scowls, frowns, then bites his lip.

He’s smiling when he says, “You just want me to go out so you can write your stupid essay as if any college is gonna be dumb enough to turn you away.”

Riley smiles back and Steve and then ruffles his hair. He stands up and waves his hands. _Do it already!_

“Ugh,” Steve grunts. “Fine. Fine. I’m doing it, okay.” He exaggerates typing on his phone and lifting it so that Riley can see that he’s actually doing it. The little shit.

“There.” Steve says and then flings his phone to other end of the couch. Riley watches as Steve’s apprehension grows, his face turning red. Patience is a virtue which Steve Rogers has not completely mastered. Then his phone pings, the sound heralding a new message and Steve looks at Riley, eyes wide, mouth pressed in a thin line. Riley watches Steve dive for the phone. One, two, three beats before Steve stands. He has the phone clutched in his hand. Really tightly. Riley can see Steve’s veins. But Steve’s face is the complete opposite. He is calm. He clears his throat and starts walking up the stairs with grace. One, two, three beats before Steve’s door slams and then:  _Bucky Barnes fucking loves me!_ Steve screams and he’s super lucky that their father isn’t home or else he would’ve gotten a warning for the door slam and then an admonition for the screaming.

Riley shakes his head, smiling. He thinks for a second, what if he writes about the trials of having little brothers in his essay, then shakes his head again. No, maybe he’ll write about chances and opportunities, the unapologetic taking of both so as not to live in regret, even though it may end in rejection.

“You’re welcome!” Riley shouts back towards Steve’s room.

__

Steve pays it back to Riley when he introduces him to Sam, and then again when he introduces them to America.

__

Riley’s alarm goes off at seven a.m. It is America’s sixth birthday.

Riley doesn’t think anyone else is awake but when he gets to the kitchen, a girl with red hair is sitting on the bar chair at the island counter. Riley thinks it’s too goddamn early for Natasha to be giving him a fucking heart attack.

“Didn’t hear you come in,” Riley says. Natasha turns to him; she’s eating leftovers from last night.

“Yes, you were snoring away. Too loud, I think, to have heard anything. I could have been a thief.”

Riley waves his hand at her. “Wipe that smile off your face. Why are you eating leftovers?”

Natasha shrugs at him, “I’m hungry and you weren’t up yet.”

Riley smirks at her, “Good. Now I only have to cook breakfast for eight people instead of nine.”

Natasha fakes a gasp, “Oh well! That is so generous and kind of you, Mr. Erskine-Wilson.” Riley narrows his eyes at her when she laughs, then he starts laughing too. America will be excited; she hasn’t seen her godmother in quite some time.

Riley is frying up bacon and cracking eggs over a skillet when Natasha speaks again.

“Who brought the extra?”

Riley turns to her, confused. “What?”

“Sam, Riley, sweet America. Steve, Bucky, precious Elijah, and darling David.” She’s counting them off on her fingers. “Seven. You said eight.”

Riley’s face turns red. “Steve brought a date.”

Natasha’s face brightens and her smile widens. “Tea, please.”

“ _Tea_ or tea?”

Natasha nods, “Both!”

Riley moves to fill the kettle with water and then presses the button to start the boiling process.

“Steve brought a date. Her name is Sharon. She works for Stark Industries.”

Natasha’s (villainous) smile reminds Riley of the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. “How long have they been dating?”

“Three months.”

“Wait.” Natasha’s forehead creases. “Steve, Bucky, and Sharon are under one roof?”

Riley rolls his eyes at her, “You just want drama. It’s actually been very civil.”

Natasha sticks her tongue out at him. “What is there to live for but drama?”

He doesn’t deign her with a response. Natasha helps him with the rest of breakfast anyways.

__

America wakes up first. Riley thinks she’s in tune with him. Like she knows when he’s up or when he’s leaving. So it’s not a surprise for Riley that America is the first person he sees in the morning. (Nevermind Natasha today.)

America is still clad in her pajamas, she’s still basically half asleep when she comes down the stairs and into the kitchen. She climbs onto the chair beside Natasha. She turns to her godmother and asks who she is.

“Natasha Romanoff.”

America narrows her eyes at Natasha, “Are you related to Anastasia?”

“If I tell you I have to kill you.”

America widens her eyes then, smiling. She pushes her bedhead hair out of her face and her arms stretch out so that Natasha can hug her. “I missed you.”

“Is my presence not the greatest birthday gift?”

America turns to Riley as if asking him _is it? Or did you get me something cooler?_

Riley winks at her. _You’ll have to find out later._

America turns her attention back to Natasha. “So far,” she says, her tone as cool as her godmother's. These two are troublemakers and they know it. And Riley will let America get away with it because it is her day today.

Riley puts on a smile as big as theirs. “Good morning, my princess.”

“Hello, _Papi._ ” She rolls her eyes at him but she leans over the counter to give Riley a kiss on the cheek.

__

Ten minutes later, Bucky emerges from the basement and at the same time, Steve is walking down the stairs. Riley almost pours hot water on his hand instead of his mug. Natasha stifles a laugh. Steve misses the last step on the stairs and Bucky hits his thigh on the dining table. Suffice it to say, the awkwardness fizzles as fast as it had come because Natasha and America are howling in laughter. Riley can’t stop himself either. Steve and Bucky. They’re still a fucking pair.

“Morning,” Steve says, head bowed, cheeks red in embarrassment. Riley notices Steve grabbing two mugs from the cupboard. He fills the first one with hot water and coffee grounds (for himself) and the second one with hot water and a bag of green tea (for Bucky). No one mentions anything and Bucky takes his mug as if it is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s not, not really. They can be separated and still know each other’s preferences. Friends can do that. If Riley isn’t preoccupied with cooking, he would have done it too.

“Ahem,” America clears her throat. She has not been addressed yet and she would very much like for that to be remedied even though she acted like he was a nuisance just ten minutes before.

“Good morning, Miss America.” Bucky says; his one hand is carrying his mug so he brings his left shoulder down close to her. America high fives it carefully without a second thought.

Then she turns to Steve.

“Good morning and happy birthday.”

She’s absolutely preening. “Thank you, uncles.”

She turns back to her food and the adults start talking too. Natasha has started grinding Steve about Sharon. _How’d you meet? Where’d you take her for your first date? I hope it’s not that dumb hole-in-the-wall place with all the graffiti. How long have you been dating? Where did she go to school? Why’s she working for Stark? What does she do for him? Shut up, it is so my business!_

“Fine, I’ll stop interrogating you!” Natasha finally yields and gives Steve reprieve. Bucky and Riley have been laughing at the way Steve seems to curl in on himself when Natasha gives him the third degree. Riley is reminded of what Steve used to look like before college. The wimpy looking kid who’d looked like he’d fall over from a stiff breeze. The only thing that could make Steve come out of his shell when they were younger was Bucky, and he seems to still have that power now because he comes over and places his mug on the counter which frees his arm so that he can rest it over Steve’s shoulders.

Steve immediately blooms, he widens his stance and straightens his back. His posture emblematic of the muscles he has.

“Sweet Natasha, will you please leave him alone?”

Natasha scoffs, feigns being insulted. “I am innocently asking him questions.”

Bucky and Steve roll their eyes.

“Why don’t you just ask Sharon when she comes down, huh?” Bucky says. He lets go of Steve too and grabs his mug again. Natasha and Steve are both staring at him, but he’s turned his attention to something more pressing: food. Riley heaps a good serving of eggs on his plate. Riley grabs the bread as the toaster dings and places it on Bucky’s plate too. Bucky goes to sit by America and then _they_ start a conversation about the latest movies. _Pops and Papi won’t let me watch because they said I’m too young. Can we watch John Wick, Uncle Bucky? Please?_ Riley catches Bucky staring at him and he emphatically shakes his head no, _no fucking way, Barnes, don’t do it._ Bucky chuckles, ignores Riley but doesn’t give in to America’s pleading. _Ask me again in seven years._

Riley tunes out the rest of the conversation. At which point, Sharon, Elijah, David, and Sam all stroll into the kitchen and the day really begins.

 


End file.
